halfway

1 of 2

adverb

half·​way ˈhaf-ˈwā 

ˈhäf-

: midway between two points

At length the cat steps halfway out the door, showing his spotted brown coat and the stripes on his legs.

—Paul Comstock

halfway

2 of 2

adjective

1

: midway between two points

at the halfway point/mark

2

: partial

a halfway solution

Synonyms of halfway

Adjective

• incomplete
• half
• partial
• deficient

Examples of halfway in a Sentence

Adjective

She was leading at the halfway mark of the race.

We're halfway toward completing the project.

They're only offering halfway measures, not a real solution.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

In one moment, Alex stands halfway across the bridge at Metro Mont-Royal with her friend, waiting to see whose train will arrive first. —Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026

Many of Gore’s predictions center on a half-century event horizon, but not even halfway to that point, many of the forecasts have already come true. —Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Shortly after the halfway mark, the movie morphs into something closer to an unofficial three-hander. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2026

As the crew made it to the halfway point between the Earth and the moon, NASA shared an update at midnight on April 4. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English half wey, from half half entry 2 + wey way entry 1

Adjective

derivative of halfway entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing halfway

• halfway around/across the world
• halfway decent
• halfway house
• halfway through
• meet halfway

Rhymes for halfway

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

halfway

adjective

half·​way -ˈwā 

1

: midway between two points

stop at the halfway mark

2

: partial sense 3

halfway measures

halfway adverb